Where All Hearts Meet
by ZakuReno
Summary: All the pieces lie where they fell...where they wait for him. Written in celebration of Kingdom Heart's newest NA title released, Birth By Sleep. Contains a tiny little bit part of OC appearance and major spoiler, 358/2 day's ending and BBS' secret ending


Disclaimer: I do not own any bit of Kingdom hearts 358/2 days, 1, 2 or BBS, straight and simple.

A/N: Okay, this is my first KH fic and since I don't really read a lot of them, I don't really know if it's a common one or not...I certainly hope not.

Anyways I made this in celebration of Kingdom Hearts Births by Sleep's American release and I've warned you that this contain quite a lot of spoilers, since the last half part is mostly BBS' secret ending which I had taken privilege to alter some parts.

Another warning is a small, little OC which I've added on Axel's part. It's actually a little plot bunny which had been stuck in my head for quite a while now. So if you think it's a good idea I may actually make a real series...after I've completed my other fic of course.

R&R

* * *

"Who are you...again?" Roxas staggered forward and tried to focus his blurred vision as he squinted to have a better look at the raven haired girl who was on her knees, a few feet away from him.

His mind was in such a great daze as if he had just woken up from a long slumber, yet his body was acting as if he was in a middle of a fight. He could feel traces of adrenaline rush coursing and pumping through his blood.

Everything doesn't make sense at the moment. Where was he and how did he end up here? "It's weird. I feel as if I'm forgetting something really important." He held his head as he tried to arrange his disoriented mind, too busy to remember to recon his surroundings.

"You'll be...better off now...Roxas." The soft and melodious voice snapped him back to his current environment.

The obviously confused boy didn't realize that he had slowly inched closer to the stranger but his mind cleared up as soon as he watched her crumpled and easily caught her with all his heightened senses doing the trick. "Am I...the one who did this to you?" He watched as shining glass-like particles flew up to the saddened twilight sky from the bruised and battered body supported by his arm.

Seeing that they were the only living creatures in front of Twilight Town's wide central station, Roxas could only put 2 plus 2 together to sum up what had happened between them, even though his mind didn't recall any involvement between the gravely wounded girl who he was holding.

"No..." She shook her head weakly and continued with her tired voice. "It was my choice...to go away now. Better that, than to do nothing...and let Xemnas have his way. I belong with Sora." Her casted down, deep blue eyes finally looked up to the somber sky above them, their identical irises meeting for the briefest fraction of a second. "And now, I'm going back...to be with him." Something warm met his right gloved hand and he surprised himself by liking the small act which felt welcoming and...Nostalgic?

Her gaze was making him uneasy and he averted his dark blue orbs from her identical one, before glancing back after hearing his own name. "Roxas...I need you...to do me a favor. All those hearts that I've captured...Kingdom Hearts...set them free."

"Kingdom Hearts...free them?" Bits of information were slowly being processed in his mind. Wasn't his main objective as an organization XIII member to collect hearts and help the organization's ultimate goal...the creation of Kingdom Hearts and become complete beings? Then why was he told to do the opposite?

Roxas was starting to feel anxious and suspicious with the girl and then he heard something cracked, literally. All of his doubts were lost as he heard another crack and saw what was really happening to the stranger. Crystal was slowly but surely spreading from the tip of her covered toes through her entire legs.

She was disappearing. And he couldn't do a thing.

"It's too late...for me to undo my mistakes. But you can't let Xemnas...have Kingdom Hearts. You can't. Good bye, Roxas." He turned his head from her crystallizing form to her petite face. The fact that she was acting as if they were best friends while he couldn't even remember a single thing about her was agitating him to no end.

"See you again. I'm glad...I got to meet you. Oh...and of course, Axel, too. You're both my best friends. Never forget. That's the truth." The blond watched patiently as she slowly rose her hand, which was previously atop of his own, to cup his cheek and her barely open eyes drooped to a final seal.

His mind wasn't in a daze anymore, but his reflex still seemed slower than the usual, his brain was racking its memory for a name...or anything that could relate them except for their identical features and uniform.

Xion

The word suddenly flew across his mind, like a flash which blinded him momentarily. His eyes widened in late realization and it was so abrupt that his mouth wouldn't react as fast as he wanted. He barely caught the limp hand which were previously still radiating heat to his face."No! Xion...Who else will I have ice cream with?"

His raven haired friend's eyes were already closed and the crystal spread up to her upper torso like water seeping through her heavy clothes. The solid bony hand in his larger one dissipated into more fragments and binding light, it ascended to the endless ocean above.

Nothing was left, except a lone seashell that triggered the late memories of his deceased best friend. It flooded his mind like a plague which reminded him of how useless he was in her final breaths.

"Xion." Her name sounded heavy in his mouth and his lips trembled against the weight.

There was no more hanging out after every mission on top of the clock tower.

No more of that dreadful salty nor sweet ice cream.

She was gone...forever...back to him.

Organization XIII...Xemnas...all of them had been using them as a mere puppet to fulfill their greed.

If he really had no heart, then what was this myriad of pain in the center of his chest and the salty water which was leaking from his eyes?

* * *

_"Stop this. You know I can't feel...we don't have a heart, remember?" The redhead moved a step back and let his hands fell to his sides, identical twin chakrams burned into red flames and disappeared into oblivion._

_"Stop hurting yourself by saying that! You have a heart somewhere in there...you guys just ignored it for way too long." Axel finally looked up to his female companion in shock. Her beautiful features were marred with pain...not physical, but emotional hurt. _

_"Do you forget that we're Nobodies?" He had always knew that something was going wrong with him, ever since he met Roxas and befriended him, but he refused to admit that his life believes was wrong, that too to some woman who he had just known for not longer than two weeks._

_"If you really don't have a heart, explain to me what you felt with Roxas and Xion! I know it wasn't just pain!"_

_Bulls-eye, Axel sighed, more to himself and decided to walk away in defeat._

_"If we don't have a heart... "She paused hesitantly and watched as he stopped dead in his tracks to hear what else she was about to surprise him with."Explain...explain why it feels as if I'm falling for you?" _

/\

_"Hey, cute guy." She chimed as soon as she managed to lift her heavy eye lids and saw the redhead's distressed look on top of her._

_"Don't talk, it won't help you heal." Axel frowned at the frail form which was in sitting position with the mere support of his arm._

_"Don't give me that look, lea. You know I hate it when you scrunch up your head, it makes you look old." The wounded female in his arm managed to lift her shaking hand and tapped her lover's offending temple with all her might._

_"And you know I hate being called by my old name. I didn't tell it to you for this purpose." The redhead's frown grew deeper at the weakness of her usually strong stroke and caught her hand before it could fall. _

_She grinned and chuckled as the so called Flurry of Dancing Flame gave her hand a tight squeeze to make sure that it wouldn't disappear soon enough._

_They both know that she was fading away. A faint sheen of black mist were already starting to seep out of her being...the shell of her former self was finally going to disappear from the world and there would be no more traces of her existence in any of the worlds left. _

_"Remember, Axel. Wherever you are, follow your heart's will...even though we're Nobodies..." She smiled and closed her eyes for awhile to make sure that this wasn't a dream-The redhead's clear, pained expression despite his usual cocky smile and the welcoming warmth radiating where their clothed skin met._

_"I've got it memorized." He kissed the back of her hand and bent closer to her fading form, not realizing that tears had streamed down his bright, green orbs._

_"See...you really have a heart...Or else, this wouldn't come out of your eyes, right." The smiling woman traced her other free hand along the wet trails on his cheeks, up to his twin tattoos right below his glowing orbs and the fiery crimson, unruly spiked hair that she loved. She savored the feel of every fiber under her fingertips and it took her another moment to realize that her own voice was broke, cheeks also wet with foreign salty liquid. "See you...later, my Axel...don't miss me too much"_

"You're...fading away." Sora's voice snapped him back to reality, the burning sensation scorching his whole body, the black mist which was raiding his vision...and his throbbing heart.

"Well, that's what happens when you put your being into an attack. You know what I mean? Not that Nobodies actually HAVE feelings...right? "He managed to turn his head weakly and added quickly."Anyway, I digress. Go, find Kairi. Oh, almost forgot...Sorry for what I did to her."

"When we find her, you can tell her that yourself." The blond said innocently.

The redhead held back a scoff and turned his face back to the mixed colors of 'Betwixt and Between's' ceiling. _Always as naive as you are...whatever form you're in, huh, Roxas._ "Think I'll pass. My heart just wouldn't be in it, you know? Haven't got one." He chuckled darkly at the bad pun and immediately stopped as he finally answered Sora's next question.

"Axel, what were you trying to do?"

"I wanted to see Roxas." Sora looked taken aback by his sudden bluntness but Axel continued without bothering anymore. "He...was the only one I liked...He made me feel...like I had a heart. It's kind of...funny...You make me feel...the same..." The redhead frowned as he felt more pain taking over his senses.

Did she felt like this when she left the world? He certainly hoped not, it would be too much for him to imagine her going through this pain. "Kairi's in the castle dungeon. Now go." He hastily said and used the little strength that he had left to lift his hand and open a portal. Then everything went dark as his hand fell to the cold ground with a final rustle of his clothes.

"Axel." Was the last thing that he heard, and it sounded like four different voices, Sora, Roxas, Xion and his lover's.

* * *

Aqua walked to the silhouette of a person who sat on top of a boulder which was facing the sea. "Who are you?" This would be the first encounter she had with a real person since she had fallen to the realm of darkness, if it really was one. And she just surprised herself by how calm she was in the situation. Guess that's what really staying too long in this place does to you.

"Huh? Why, hello, it's not often I get visitors." The man covered in complete black finally realized her presence and slightly turned his head to see his new guest, the metal charm hanging from his hood clank against the metal ornaments joint at the ends of his cloak's collar at the small movement.

"Please, call me Aqua." The azure haired woman eagerly introduced herself, despite the unclear sign if he was anything near human or something else originating from the realms. It didn't matter anymore, after years of wandering alone around this dark place, anything near of a human being was really welcomed to her. "Why are you sitting here all alone in the realm of darkness? How did you end up here?"

The stranger set his hidden eyes back to the moon-or what resembles it- on the horizon again and answered her solemnly. "Well, I can tell you this is my second time on this shores, but unfortunately, much like the first. I do not remember who I am or whence I came...everything was washed away in whatever currents carried me here."

"That's too bad..." Aqua bit back a sigh as all her hopes of finding a way out of this dreaded place was carried away with the songs of waves crashing against weirdly shaped cliffs surrounding the shore. She sat and relaxed as she found no more need to get her hopes up or stay alert around the mysterious man. "I know I've been here a long time...wandering through the hours, unable to escape... "

"You wish to return to your own world?" The fully clothed man once again turned his attention to the teen, who had settled on the bare sands beside him and hugged her knees to her chest in a comfortable manner.

She gave a small nod before giving the endless distant in front of them a hard glare. "It's my friends...I promised I'll be there for them."

"Your friends?" He urged, more to himself, as if he was trying to dig deep down from his fading memories. "Somewhere in the scraps of memory I have left. You remind me of a boy I once knew. He is very much like you...true to his friends and kind. This boy travels to many worlds and fights to keep the light safe."

"Keep the light safe?" Aqua's blue eyes seemed the glow at the mention. Could it be one of her friends? Are they safe now? Terra and Ven? "I've been away too long, did something happened out there? Are the worlds in danger?"

"Sad to say, they nearly fell to darkness...more than once. But at every turn that boy arrived with keyblade in hand, to save the day."

"Huh?" Now this was making her more and more curious, the only male keyblade bearers that she knew were only Terra, Ven and Mickey. Scratch Mickey out, he wasn't even a normal boy, he's a king. "Wait a sec. Is his name Terra or Ven?" She asked eagerly, fully turning her upper torso to him and waited for his respond with full of hope.

The man who even sounded older than master Eraqus paused, trying to justify his own knowledge and finally shook his head. "Neither of those, I'm afraid."

The teen sighed in disappointment and turned to her previous brooding stance. "Should've known."

"How long has it been since I met him? At least a year now, perhaps more." He asked and answered himself as he tried to reminisce through the little memories that he had left, staring at his gloved hands which had done a lot of wonders throughout his short life...both good and bad. "Back then, my heart was clouded by vengeance. I did terrible things...both to him and his friends. I made clothes for the being of nothing. I felt something must be done...Was that why, a means of clearing my conscience or perhaps out of a sort of scholarly instinct. While the boy slept his long sleep, I hid the results of my research inside him, transplanting the data to where it might best serve the purpose. In fact, I would like to believe, maybe he can set things right...a boy like him, who touches so many hearts. He could open the right door and save all those people whose lives I've managed to ruin. So many are still waiting for their new beginning...their birth by sleep, even me...and even you." The mysterious man briefly turned to face her to emphasize his last point, face hidden under the shadows of his black hood to conceal his real expression.

"What's this boy's name?" Aqua turned her full undivided attention to the stranger now.

"His name is..."

_Namine enjoyed the evening breeze and the sounds of her crayons adding colors to the previously rough, white, plain paper, as she added the finishing touch of her newest work. A drawing of a boy who had changed her life more than she did to herself. "Sora." _

/\

_Ventus woke up, from his light slumber, to the sound of rustling clothes beside him. _

_Terra's welcoming smile greeted his very first vision and he grinned in return, only one name embedded into both of their hearts. _

_"Sora." _

/\

_"I belong with Sora. And now, I'm going back...to be with him, Roxas."_

/\

_The egg-like cage which kept his very own 'original self' opened with a loud mechanical hiss. They almost look identical, save for their hair style and one fact that he knew all too well...the messy haired boy in front of him is a somebody, while he was a mere nobody. _

_"Sora...you're lucky. Looks like my summer vacation is...over." _

_After all, no one would miss him if he was gone._

A tear finally escaped her blue eyes. Myriads of emotion swirled around her heart and she couldn't help but sob and look at the endless, dark horizon with new hope which was brimming now. "Sora." She remembered the boy, that small kid who looked exactly like Ventus and his friend which resembled Terra's personality.

The journey towards the end would begin soon.


End file.
